Mesothelioma Surgery with Organ Removal Extends Survival

Removing major organs to achieve a more complete cancer resection did not increase severe complications or hinder survival benefits of aggressive surgery for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma, according to a recent report. The increased complexity of organ resection surgery will not adversely affect long-term outcomes, according to the multicenter study published in Annals of Surgical Oncology. By comparison, an incomplete cytoreduction that can spare the organs is associated with increased mortality and shorter overall survival. The study, which involved 174 patients across 12 specialty centers within the U.S., accentuated a growing trend that has dramatically improved the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma in recent years. Peritoneal mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that starts in the lining of the abdomen and often metastasizes to surrounding organs. A combination of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, known as HIPEC, has become the most effective way of treating it, allowing patients to survive anywhere from two to 10 years and beyond after diagnosis. Without aggressive treatment, however, median survival is just six to 12 months. “The results of the study were pretty consistent with what we expected to see. That’s encouraging,” co-author Dr. Sean Dineen, surgical oncologist and specialist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “I think they really justify extensive resection, if...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news